Fastening device.



- No. 660,680. Patentd Oct. 30, I900.

' J. T. CONN.

FASTENING DEVICE.

(Application filed July 7, 1900.)

"1 9i huwaea UNIT D STATES PATENT O FICE.

JULIUS T. CONN, OF LANSING, MICHIGAN.

FASTENING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 660,680, dated October30, 1900.

Application filed July 7, 1900. Serial No. 22,791, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JULIUS T. CONN, acitizen of the United States,residing at Lansing, in the county of Ingham and State of Michigan,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fastening Devices; and Ido herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in fastening devices, and is moreespecially adapted for fastening devices for shoes and the like.

The objects of the invention are to provide a simple and inexpensivefastening device which will enable the ready securing and detaching ofthe two members of the device, to produce a fastening device for shoesor the like to replace the troublesomelacing or buttons commonlyemployed, to produce a simple and efficient fastening device which canbe quickly and easily applied to the ordinary lace or buttoned shoe byan unskilled person, and to produce a generally improved, simplified,and efficient fastening device for shoes and the like.

With such and other objects in view the inventionis embodied in thenovel parts, arrangement, and combinations of parts here inafterdescribed, and particularly set forth in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawingsI have illustrated practical embodiments ofthe invention, but desire it understood that I do not wish to be limitedto the particular constructions which for the sake of illustration Ihave there shown.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows in elevation a fastening deviceembodying my invention and shows the same as applied toalaced shoe. Fig.2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the fastening device and aportion of the shoe. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of one member of thefastening device. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the other member ofthe fastening device. Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating amodified construction of means for securing the two members to the shoeor the like. Fig. 6 is another modified construction of means forsecuring the members of the device to a shoe or the like.

the drawings, is in the form of a tube or sheath and is preferablyflattened, though this, as will be evident, is not necessary. The tubeis provided along one side with a series of perforations or holes 0 andis secured at one end in any convenient or suitable mannor to the shoeor the like. In the drawings I have shown various modes of securing thesheath to the shoe. As shown inFigs. 1 and 2, the sheath A is providedat one end with a hooked tongue or projection D, which may be formed byflattening or removing a portion of the tube. The hook D in Figs. 1 and2 engages in a link or eye E, which is secured to a lacing-stud F, whichis secured to the shoe in awell-known manner and is of a wellknownconstruction. The other memberB of the fastening device comprises anelongated body portion G, of the size and shape to enter the tube orsheath A and slide back and forth therein, and a spring-tongue G,secured at one end to the body G and having at or near its opposite enda beak or hook H,adapted to engage in any one of the holes 0 in thesheath. The hook H extends at an acute angle to the spring-tongue G oris bent back ward slightly, so that when the hook engages in one of theopenings 0 it cannot be disengaged therefrom bya pull on the members ofthe fastening device. Preferably the body portion G is provided with ahole 9 opposite the hook or beak H, and this hole is adapted to receivethe end of the beak H extending through one of the openings 0 in thesheath, and thereby prevent the breaking off of the beak if unusualstrain is brought to bear on the members of the fastening device. Themember B of the fastening device may be secured in various manners tothe shoe or the I like. For instance, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it issecured, similarly to the member A, to a lacing-stud by means of a linkor eye I,

which engages with the lacing-stud and witha loop or eye K at the end ofthe member B.

This loop K may be readily formed by forming the tongue and body of themember B of a single piece of metal bent upon itself. The tongue G isprovided conveniently near its outer end with projecting ears or lugs L,extending beyond the sides of the sheath, so as to enable one in usingthe device to readily grasp the tongue and lift the beak H out of thehole 0, in which it is engaged.

As above stated, various means may be employed for securing the membersA and B to the shoe or the like.

In Fig.5 I have shown another form of means for securing the members tothe shoe, comprising a securing device M, fastened in any convenientmanner to the shoe and having upwardly-projecting opposite lugs m,provided with registering perforations m. Through these perforations andthrough a hook or loop N on the end of a member of the fastening devicepasses a pivot O, which may be retained in place as by means ofhooked'or bent ends 0. It will be understood that both members A and Bof the fastening device can be secured in the same way.

In Fig. 6 another means is shown for securing the members of thefastening device to the shoe. This means comprises a screwthreaded studP, secured to the end of the fastening member and adapted to projectthrough a hole or eyeleted hole, which, by the way, may be the ordinarylace-hole of a shoe, and engage with a screw-threaded nut Q. It isevident that the devices P and Qmay be inthe forms, respectively, of arivet and washer,the rivet bei ngswaged over the washer to retain theparts in engagement. I

It is thought .the use of the device will be readily understood. Tosecure the members of the fastening device together, it is simplynecessary to insert the end of the body G which extends beyond the beakH into the end of the sheath A and press the body home in the sheath.The beak being rearwardly inclined will cause the spring-tongue to rideon the outsideof the sheath until the beak engages in the desired hole0. The members cannot then be separated until the tongue is moved tocarry the beak out of the hole, which can be done by grasping the earson the spring-tongue with the fingers. In cases where the fasteningmembers are flexibly connected to the shoe they can be readilydisengaged by grasping the member B beyond the end of the sheath andbowing or bending the same slightly outward, which will also cause thebeak to disengage the hole in which it is located.

It will be understood that the fastening device above describedconstitutes asimple and effective fastening for a shoe or the like. Thebody G of the member B, being sheathed or telescoped into the tooth Afor a considerable distance, is held rigidly by the walls of the sheathand prevented from side deflection or movement.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fastening device, the combination of a member in the form of anelongated sheath having along one side thereof a series of holes, asecond member havinga long slender body portion telescoping in saidsheath and having a long slender spring-tongue secured at or near oneend of the body portion and extending substantially parallel with thebody portion outside of said sheath, said tongue having a beak adaptedto engage in one of said holes in the sheath, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a fastening device, the combination of a member in the form of anelongated sheath having along one side thereof a series of holes, asecond member having along slender body portion telescoping in saidsheath, and having a long slender tongue secured at or near one end ofthe body portion and eX- tending substantially parallel with the bodyportion outside of the sheath, said tongue having a beak adapted toengage in one of said holes in the sheath, and said tongue having ears Lprojecting laterally beyond the sides of the sheath, substantially asdescribed.

3. In afastening device for shoes or the like, the combination of amember secured at one end to the shoe or the like, and being of tubularform provided along one side with a series of holes, a second fasteningmember secured at one end to the shoe or the like and having a bodyportion adapted to slidably engage in said tubular member, and aspringtongue having at or near its end a beak adapted to extend into oneof said holes and engage a hole in the body portion, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS T. CONN. Witnesses:

ETTA H. GARDINE, O. 0. W001).

